Ok, so this is not The
Protector that is the underrated 80s action flick which was Jackie Chan’s
first bid at Hollywood stardom but rather a low budget and quite frankly insane
action film from the 90s. This one stars B-action movie stalwarts Frank
Zagarino, Matthias Hues and Steven Nijjar. Wait, who? Fans of 80s and 90s
straight-to-video action films will no doubt know who Zagarino (Shadowchaser films) and Hues (No Retreat No Surrender 2) are but who
the hell is Steven Nijjar? Well he’s the main principal here, not to mention he
also produced this low budget oddity, and spends most of his time running
around trying to dodge bullets and fisticuffs. And when he’s not dodging either
of those he, well, does more running! Seriously, half the 90 minute runtime is
Mr Nijjar just running around and away from various things, and while he has
great stamina and rarely breaks a sweat, you do begin to wonder what the hell
is he running from now, especially when he’s got to find his memory, rescue his
once-thought-to-be-dead-son, and thwart Hues’ big, bad and oh so camp bad guy.

Ultra low budget action tripe, The Protector is all kinds of action insaneness. Memory wipes,
missing sons, chicks with guns (and berets!) and lots of non-acting (mainly
courtesy of Nijjar), The Protector
certainly has a lot of cool and crazy ingredients but delivers them in such a
chaotic and incoherent way it will no doubt even test the patience of even the
most hardened action trash fan. However, despite all its silliness the film has
3 tricks up its sleeve that makes it worth a punt. One and two: Zagarino and
Hues. Three: tons and tons and tons (and tons) of action! It’s always great to
see Zagarino and Hues (they even get a cool fight!) kicking ass, even in one of
their more rare action titles such as this. Zagarino does look pissed off the
whole time though gets to crack wise about his ex-wife and bust a lot of skulls
and Hues is a hoot as the camper than camp villain complete with leopard print
shirts, continuous cigars and a bevy of beret wearing/machine gun toting
beauties at his disposal. The two stars certainly make the flick more watchable
and both get ample opportunity to kick ass and dispense firepower.

And credit where credit is due, The Protector is crammed to the rafters with action. It rarely lets
up with fight after fight (some good, some not), explosions, vehicle
destruction and machine gun firing awesomeness. The action may be a little rough
and ready but its lively, well sustained and makes the flick all that more
enjoyable. There is even an elaborate scene where our hero has his feet set on
fire but continues to fight and then escapes gunfire by jumping through a
window, all the while still on fire! Cool. The less said about the continue
re-use of the same corridor in the climactic siege of the villains lair the
better (and not to mention the fact Hues is often shooting at nothing off
camera!) but for a ultra low budget action flick done by some people that,
well, wanted to make their own action film, The
Protector delivers action, action and more action.

Tuesday, 21 October 2014

Tense and unsettling thriller Felony is an often
gripping, albeit slow burning, tale of the moral quandaries Australian cop
Malcolm Toohey (Edgerton) must face when he knocks down a young lad one night
when driving home intoxicated. Said boy is rushed to the hospital and when
asked whether he was involved in the youngster’s accident, Malcolm steps over
an honourable line (wanting to protect his career and reputation) when he lies
and says he wasn’t: just finding the boy in the road the way he was. Enter long
time, and somewhat scuzzy, cop Carl (Wilkinson) who, through some kind of
warped sense of wanting to protect his fellow officers, helps Malcolm and gives
him a cover story. Malcolm is seen as a hero, the boy’s mother seeing him as
her son’s saviour, but new cop Jim (Courtney) has his doubts and begins his own
investigation into the case. Soon the officers are forced into a battle of
wills as cover-ups and consciouses begin to crumble in a pursuit for the
truth.

An incredibly well acted and well shot film, Felony
for much of its running time is riveting viewing achieving its momentum and
grip by the tight direction and very convincing performances of the main cast.
Walking a wobbly moral tightrope, meaning one doesn’t always have sympathy with
the characters, the film keeps one watching thanks to its non-showy and unpretentious
way of presenting the story. Melodrama is played down in favour of a much more
naturalistic approach, the actors playing very real people in a very real
situation. Instead of, and refreshingly so, a docu-like approach (handheld
cameras, de-saturated colours etc) to make proceedings seem more real, director
Matthew Saville shoots his film beautifully with long, steady shots (meaning
the film still has a very cinematic aesthetic) and lets the characters and the
actors playing them bring out the realism rather than trying to force it.

The cast are uniformly brilliant with star and writer
Edgerton convincingly crumbling under the pressure of his secret while Jai
Courtney really impresses in the much quieter more restrained role as his
suspicious colleague. Only Wilkinson, who is still really good, feels a bit
like a “movie” character rather than a real person with his excessive
monologues about being loyal and protecting one’s family being a bit flashy
compared to the rest of the cast. Still his character provides the thrust for
the ethical quagmire the characters must navigate, which leads the story to a
rather surprising (though tad rushed after the slow build of everything else!)
late act change of direction which will no doubt split viewers down the middle
with its moral implications. It’s certainly an unexpected and brave path to
take and will have one thinking long after the credits have rolled.

More like a play that unfolds with tense and beautifully
filmed precision than an all-out action thriller, Felony is an
enthralling crime story telling a morally ambiguous tale that will make you
think.

Wednesday, 15 October 2014

Gutshot, while he is in it, is not the new Steven
Seagal action film. Likewise, for Vinnie Jones fans out there. Their parts are
really just extended cameos though their characters do partly drive the plot
and it’s nice to see both of them stretching dramatic chops and letting someone
else handle the leading man duties. Those duties got to George Eads (of CSI
fame) who plays two-bit card shark Jack who, wouldn’t you know it, is in debt
to Seagal’s mob boss and doesn’t even have enough change to support his
estranged wife and child. Enter Duffy (Lang) some weird rich dude who offers
Jack the bet of his life (well more like an offer a la Indecent Proposal)
and after some soul searching (well, having a gun pointed at him!) he decides
to accept the bet/challenge. Needless to say things don’t go according to plan,
Duffy ends up dead, Jack still owes a lot of money and Seagal and his cronies
come a calling.

More a dramatic thriller, set in the Las Vegas gambling
world, than an outright action film, fans of Seagal looking to see him kick ass
with his fast and furious fists (and copious use of doubles!) will be
disappointed but those looking to see him doing something a little different
(albeit a version of a character he as always played, just a little more
crooked this time around!) may be surprised. Sure he only has a few scenes but
it’s cool to see the Seagal trying something a little different and actually
attempting to act. Lead guy George Eads makes for a believable down-on-his-luck
schmoe and while his character first appears to be a bit of a douche he does
become more likable as his predicament worsens and Eads makes for an easy-going
leading man. Lang can do sleazy and weird in his sleep, which he does well
here, and the great Ted Levine also shows up to provide a bit of threat.

As mentioned, and despite the cool title (the flick is known
as Gutshot Straight in the States), Gutshot is not really an
action film. On its own dramatic thriller terms, the film works well for most
of its running time though does loose a bit of steam in the second half with
events seeming to meander too much when they should be heating up. However,
Justine Steele’s film is nicely shot with good use of the Las Vegas locations
and if you are in the mood for a pulpy thriller rather than an all out action
ride then Gutshot fits the bill.

Wednesday, 8 October 2014

Action star and all round cool French man Olivier Gruner
made an impressive debut in the now somewhat dated but still entertaining Angel
Town. An urban drama with a heavy dose of fight action, Gruner plays
Jacques who has recently relocated to LA to further his studies. Having trouble
finding suitable accommodation he rents a room from a single mother (Saldana)
who lives deep in the ghetto area of LA. She’s desperately trying to keep her
son from getting embroiled with a local gang and when Jacques intervenes to
help save the boy, the gang soon target Jacques and his new surrogate family
leading to all out war.

Made during the American martial arts movie boom, Angel
Town was a decent launching pad for Gruner and his high kicking skills.
Reminiscent of Van Damme pictures of the time (you can almost hear the
producers screaming, quick get another French speaking kickboxer and stick him
in a movie!), Angel Town benefits from Gruner’s enthusiastic first
screen performance, the gritty urban setting and some solid direction from The
Octagon and Black Eagle director, Eric Karson. Sure it’s mega dated
now, though the urban LA locations do give it the feel of authenticity, and it’s
all a bit daft but it delivers the requisite kickboxing thrills with a nice
measure of drama.

While Gruner maybe could have flexed his fight skills a bit
more, the fight scenes are executed with brutal efficiency making good use of
his kicking ability. There are some fun and authentic looking training scenes
showing Jacques training with his American buddy, played by Peter Kwong (The
Gold Child, Steele Justice), but the showstopper is the climactic free for
all fight when the gang besiege Jacques residence. Stunt/fight coordinator Jeff
Imada (Death Warrant, Rapid Fire) pulls out all the stops in a tense and
tough showdown featuring all manner of high kicking takedowns and shotgun
blasting action.

Angel Town is still one of Gruner’s most entertaining
flicks (and look out for an early and non-fighting appearance from Mark
Dacascos) that serves as a decent action drama not to mention a time capsule of
late 80s/early 90s American martial arts/urban cinema.

Cool Target

About Me

From B-movies to blockbusters; kung-fu to car chases movies; explosions and even a bit of sci-fi, you'll find it here at Cool Target. This blog is a simple appreciation of the most under-appreciated genre of cinema: action. Old and new reviews, both short and long will be posted regularly detailing action blockbusters, B-movies, kung-fu flicks and more. Enjoy.